KLEM News AM Update October 6, 2010

At Tuesday's meeting, Council member John Rexwinkel said he continued to get calls about a decision earlier this year to change weekly garbage collection next year.

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Rexwinkel said there were concerns about garbage volume, but more about sanitation and odor. Rexwinkel also said he didn't think the city should minimize its recycling efforts that led to twice a month blue bag and blue tote collection.

Council members John Leonard and Delana Ihrke also reported calls about the pick up change planned next year.

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Council member Ken Nelson serves on the Solid Waste Committee and suggested information be given to the Council by the city's residential hauler, Van's Sanitation.

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Two weeks ago Nelson asked Council members about the change because city staff is in the process of having annual materials prepared for printing to promote the dates for recycling. However, no vote was taken.

Assistant City Administrator BIll Cole says the landscape waste site on Highway Three West, near the Riverview Ball Complex, will be open twice a week.

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Le Mars residents' interest in cleaning up household items that are hazardous has more than doubled this fall.

The city asked the Plymouth County Solid Waste Agency to make the collection in the city rather than at the rural Le Mars Landfill.

Assistant City Administrator Bill Cole reported on appointments during the Council Meeting Tuesday.

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Those who've made an appointment to leave items at the Street Department collection site are asked to use the First Street Northeast entrance.

"Of Mice and Men" is change of pace for Le Mars Community Theater performers

(LE MARS) Players from the Le Mars Community Theater are busy rehearsing for their upcoming production "Of Mice and Men." The 10-member cast will take the stage October 29th through the 31st and then again November 4th through 6th. Larry Brangwin is directing the play which is based off a novella written by John Steinbeck. Brangwin says he chose this production because it's something he's wanted to do for a long time.

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"Of Mice and Men" is about two drifters looking for work in California during the depression. George is a man with sense and a strong work ethic, Lennie is a man with great physical strength and the mind of a child. When the men begin work at a ranch harvesting barley, a story of loneliness and unfulfilled dreams unfolds. Brangwin says that audiences will enjoy the play for many reasons.

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The Le Mars Community Theater most often stages productions that are a bit more light hearted than Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." Many of the actors are excited for the change of pace.

Tickets go on sale for "Of Mice and Men" at the Le Mars Postal Playhouse on the 18th of October for members and on the 20th for the general public. For more informationwww.postalplayhouse.org

(News report by Angela Drake, KLEM News)

Ice Cream cone creator visits Le Mars

(LE MARS) Ice cream-themed public art planned in Le Mars next year is popular. Eighteen fiberglass art pieces are already purchased to be painted and displayed.

Patrick Keough of Shelton, Nebraska parked a trailer loaded with full size fiberglass animals in front of City Hall Tuesday afternoon. Keough will make 30 fiberglass ice cream cones to be painted for display in Le Mars as public art.

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Keough likes to come back to a community when the finished art is displayed.

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Mary Reynolds of the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce is the contact person for anyone who'd like to buy one of the fiberglass ice cream cones for display. Chamber and city staff and volunteers met with the fiberglass creator Tuesday afternoon.

The Gazette newspaper in Cedar Rapids reported Tuesday that the Democratic incumbent in the November general election made the proposal during an Iowa Public Television segment called ``A Conversation on Aging'' that will air Friday. His opponent, former Republican Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, will tape his segment Wednesday.

Culver says he will propose the new requirement to the state Legislature next session. He says it will offer strong incentives to financial institutions to make it easier to catch and prevent the abuse. The governor also proposes expanding property tax credits for elderly Iowans from $23 million to $30 million.

The former Iowa governor spoke on Monday to the editorial board of The Gazette newspaper in Cedar Rapids. Branstad said he has a goal of reducing state spending by 15 percent over the next five years. He says he won't look at raising taxes, but instead reducing the size and cost of government, including personnel costs.

Branstad says it has to be done in ``a very even-handed and equitable way.'' He also told the editorial board that Iowa is close to saturation on gambling opportunities and he wouldn't favor opening the state to sports betting if the opportunity came from Congress.

Culver's campaign says Reynolds is afraid of debating Judge, who served in the state Senate and two terms as agriculture secretary before becoming lieutenant governor. Reynolds is a first-term state senator who previously was Clarke County treasurer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa railroads are to share more than $3 million in federal transportation funding to pay for repairing damage after the historic flooding during 2008.

The funding was announced Tuesday by members of Iowa's congressional delegation. It includes $2.2 million for flood damage restoration for the Iowa Northern Railway. The money will be used to remove flood debris from rails among other efforts. The railway stretches more than 160 miles from Cedar Rapids to Manly.

Three other railways will share the rest of the funding. They include the Burlington Junction Railway, the Iowa River Railroad and the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin says repairing the railroads will help the state's economy after the flooding slowed transport of goods and suppressed commerce.

Gov. Chet Culver announced Tuesday that the state is to receive $5.7 million in grants for three years to fast-track training and job placement in the sectors. The governor's office says the projects will help get training money to businesses, dislocated workers, the underemployed and unemployed.

The funding encompasses 13 projects in Iowa, including efforts at weatherization, electric transmission and renewable fuels. The money was awarded by the State Energy Sector Partnership Board.

Burlington approves new anti-loitering law

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) The Burlington City Council has narrowly passed an ordinance that makes it a misdemeanor to loiter on public property.

The ordinance passed 3-2 during Monday's council meeting. The Hawk Eye newspaper in Burlington reports that it applies to areas like sidewalks and streets or blocking access to public buildings. City Clerk Kathleen Salisbury says the ordinance will go into effect when it is published in the newspaper, which will likely happen next week.

Supporters of the ordinance say police need the power to deal with potentially violent situations. Those who opposed the ordinance say it violates constitutional rights. Under the new ordinance, police have discretion over when and where they will enforce the law.